Firehorse superstition helps uncover why women's education may not drive Japan's fertility decline

A paper in Genome Biology and Evolution discovers that the endangered Mediterranean fin whale is not completely isolated from Atlantic groups. Both Atlantic and Mediterranean populations have declined for the past 200,000 years. Considering more recent threats to the whales, this finding has important implications for conservation, particularly considering increasing anthropogenic pressures.

The beech forests of southern Patagonia put on vibrant autumn displays.

Researchers from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), in collaboration with international experts, have published a scientific study on how to ensure that the selection of committees and expert groups is mathematically fair and proportional, preventing significant minorities from being excluded. These findings could find applications in the political sphere, the commercial sector, or group activity planning to ensure all group members feel represented.